7 Hot Tips for Getting Your Articles Read

You're putting a concerted effort into your article marketing ... writing, posting, doing it again ... so I would think that you'd want your articles to be read. I am right?

For article marketing to be effective in bringing your website the traffic you seek, you have to write articles with the intent of having them read. These seven hot tips will help you get there.

1. Know your stuff.
Of course, in an ideal world, you should write articles about topics you know something about. When you write about it, you won't have a hard time because you already know your stuff! It's just a matter of making your articles creative, interesting and easy to read.

2. Provide a good attention-grabbing title or header.
If your title can entice a person's curiosity you're already halfway to getting a person to read your article. Use statements and questions that use keywords people are looking for. Provide titles or headers that describe your articles content but also are short and concise.

Use titles like, "5 Tips for _____", or "How to ______." You could also use titles that command people, for example, "Make Clients Open Their Wallets in Six Easy Steps." These types of titles reach out to a person's emotions and makes them interested.

3. Use Sub-headings to sub-divide your paragraphs in the page.
Doing this will break each point into sections, but still be a part of one whole article. It also makes it easy for the reader to move on from one point to another; the transition is smooth and easy. You are less likely to lose your readers attention (unless the sub-heads are not of interest), as well as the point and direction of where the article is going.

4. Keep them interested from start to finish.
From your opening paragraph, use real life situations that can be adopted by the reader. Stories are very good -- people love stories. Use good descriptions and metaphors to drive home your point -- just don't over do it. Using metaphors and similes can make it easy for readers to imagine what you are talking about. Making the experience of reading your article pleasurable and enjoyable.

5. Use short paragraphs.
When paragraphs are very long, the words get jumbled in the mind of the reader. Just looking at a large chunk of text -- especially on the web -- can get confusing and be too much work to read. The reader will quickly disregard the paragraph and move on to articles that are easy to look at, as well as read.

Paragraphs can be a single sentence, sometimes even a single word!

6. Make use of numbers and/or bullets.
As each point is stressed, numbers and bullets can quickly make the point easy to digest. As each point, tip, guide or method is started with a bullet point, readers will know that this is where the tips start. It also provides white space, which can increase reading comprehension. Format your bullets and numbers with indentations so that your article won't look like a single block of square paragraphs.

7. Use figures when necessary and not just ordinary statements.
Using specific facts and figures can heighten the reading experience of your article because it makes it authoritative. But don't make it too formal. It should be light and easy in theme and flow. Like a friendly teacher having a little chat with an eager student.